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W inter gave Ohio a frigid slap yesterday, and the state will turn the other cheek today as a
wind chill of minus-15 greets morning commuters in central Ohio.

Yesterday, winds and snow flurries contributed to two 20-car pileups in the central part of the
state and an 85-car wreck on I-275 near Cincinnati that led to the death of a 12-year-old girl. She
survived the crash but was killed afterward.

Meteorologists forecast single-digit temperatures today in central Ohio. Columbus will wake up
today to a low of 6 degrees; temperatures outside the city could be lower. The high is expected to
reach only 14.

Eric Elwell, meteorologist for WBNS-TV (Channel 10), said a wind-chill advisory is in effect
until 10 a.m. today.

“It doesn’t take that much wind to send the wind chill quite a bit colder,” Elwell said. Winds
are expected to be 10 to 15 mph with occasional gusts up to 25 mph, he said.

This is the coldest spell in central Ohio since February 2011, when the temperature plummeted
below zero, Elwell said. Temperatures for the rest of the week are expected to go no higher than 26
degrees.

In the I-275 pileup near the Cincinnati suburb of Colerain Township, the girl had gotten out of
a damaged vehicle and was standing in the median near fencing made of steel cables, the Hamilton
County sheriff’s office said. Another vehicle hit the barrier and snapped a cable, which struck the
girl and killed her, office spokesman Jim Knapp said.

About 20 people were hospitalized from the crash.

Farther north, between Middletown and Monroe, an estimated 50 vehicles were in a pileup on I-75,
the State Highway Patrol reported. Minor injuries were reported.

Flurries fell in Columbus for a few hours yesterday afternoon, contributing to a pileup of
20-plus vehicles on southbound I-270, just north of Rt. 161.

Poor visibility, plus a slippery roadway, caused four or five crashes around 12:15 p.m., said
Cpl. Robert Burns of the Franklin County sheriff’s office.

Three people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, and the freeway was closed for almost
two hours.

A similar pileup occurred near Mansfield on I-71. Four tractor-trailers and 20 cars were
involved in the Richland County wreck about 2 p.m. yesterday. All three southbound lanes were
closed for about an hour and a half. The State Highway Patrol reported no serious injuries.

It got so cold yesterday that the Ohio Department of Transportation canceled plans to close I-71
north through the I-71/670 construction zone so that crews could install girders for a bridge. The
interstate could close on Wednesday night, depending on the forecast, ODOT said.

Columbia Gas of Ohio said it would not cut off gas to people who were behind on their bills.

“Obviously, when you have a period where it’s really cold outside, we don’t want to do anything
that is going to put anyone’s life in danger or create an extreme hardship for them,” said Ken
Stammen, a spokesman for Columbia Gas. “We want to look out for the safety of our customers.”

Dispatch reporter Jim Woods contributed to this story, which includes information from the
Associated Press.